Lebron not in dunk contest?

[lightweight24]

Why isn't lebron in the dunk contest? He said he'd do it if Nate did it again.

I'm surprised he wouldn't do it for the money...

He's bringin some real weak sauce if you know what I mean.

[mg]

Personally I'm glad LeBron isn't in the dunk contest. What does he have to gain from it?

You should post this on the general board and maybe some of the LeBron-Phobes over there will have a stronger opinion. I'm guessing most Cavs fans are probably happy or don't care if LBJ chooses not to dunk.

[TheOUTLAW]

Who cares? Okay maybe I'm not the right one to ask. I haven't watched a dunk contest in it's entirety if probably 10 yrs or so. Most of the time it's quite boring and the vast majority of dunks are completely played out.

[Rise Against]

There is going to be a major hate fest on the General Board.

[TheOUTLAW]

by the way, LeBron never said he was going to be in the contest. he said he was "tentatively" putting his hat in the ring.

[Canomad]

by the way, LeBron never said he was going to be in the contest. he said he was "tentatively" putting his hat in the ring.

he never said the word tentatively, he said he would put his name in the hat for the dunk contest and he was pretty pumped when he said it.

[TheOUTLAW]

I was just watching the footage today. Maybe he said it more than once but this definitely said tentatively

[GenevieveJames]

But is nate doing it?

[JonFromVA]

LeBron also talked about wanting to bring the contest back like how it used to be with star players involved and not so many attempts and gimmicks allowed. To my knowledge the NBA has announced no rule changes, and no other superstars have tossed their name in - so perhaps his vision for what he hoped the dunk contest might be, didn't work out?

Or perhaps he just plans to get up from his seat while the contest is underway, rip off his suit revealing a jersey underneath, and take the court in the most dramatic possible way?

Wouldn't put it past him ...

[beantownski]

lebron said on national tv that he was going to do the dunk contest this year. no ways around it, that's what he said. him backing out is no surprise though. he just wanted the attention that day to be shifted to him. he just loves to hear himself talk, and will do anything to get people to talk about him..... he can't help himself. if lebron can get his mug on camera he is going to do it. that's just how he is.
now i don't hate lebron. not trying to be a basher, but it is what it is. i love lebron as a player, but the man just need to shut his mouth sometimes.

[CzBoobie]

He said he was preliminarily putting his name into it after he was asked. He also tried to get his friends like Wade and Howard to do it with him. They didn't care. Since then he has never said he'd do it 100%.

[JonFromVA]

fwiw, best I can tell, LeBron has not actually said he won't appear in the dunk contest.

His name just wasn't announced ...

[marcus15]

Postgame LeBron was asked why he didnt enter and just scratched his head, looking embarassed and said "I don't know, I don't know."

If LeBron leaves the All Star Weekend without participating in some kind of dunk contest I will be disappointed. He'ss a businessman, ,everyone in the world wants it, and right now he's being labelled a chicken for not entering.

Shaq's comments were interesting. Obviously Kobe and Vince wont enter, apart fro the both bring past their athleic primes theyre both injured badly. But the Haiti cause could be the thing that brings LeBron, Wade and Dwight into the contest, or even a separate contest, to raise some money.

I just hope to God he's got something up his sleeve. LeBron owes the fans for making him the global icon he is today. Finally participating in a dunk contest is a nice way to give something back.

[Benedict_Boozer]

Lebron has nothing to gain by beating guys like Shannon Brown or Gerald Wallace in a dunk contest. TNT and ESPN just want to milk him being in it for ratings and $$$.

That said I think Lebron could actually win the contest if he brought back Dominique Wilkins style of elevation power dunks. Drop the gimmicks, show off his hops and power - people know that's what he does best.

If he could recreate a variation of Vince's windmill dunks that would probably get it done also. I've seen him do a couple nice in-game windmill dunks.

[JonFromVA]

LeBron also wanted to see changes made to the contest. His power dunks might actually look impressive if other guys weren't allowed 50 tries to get off their gimmick dunks.

[Gordon Bombay]

Lebron has nothing to gain by beating guys like Shannon Brown or Gerald Wallace in a dunk contest. TNT and ESPN just want to milk him being in it for ratings and $$$.

That said I think Lebron could actually win the contest if he brought back Dominique Wilkins style of elevation power dunks. Drop the gimmicks, show off his hops and power - people know that's what he does best.

If he could recreate a variation of Vince's windmill dunks that would probably get it done also. I've seen him do a couple nice in-game windmill dunks.

just have z throw him lob passes...catching those knuckleballs and throwing it home will win lebron any dunk contest he enters

[DubaLakers]

Tentatively Ii don't remember that...I didn't care, but when he says he's going to do it then changes his mind it's garbage, he's not hurt. He's once again putting himself before the good of the game. He would have had a tough time beating Shannon Brown and G Wallace anyway. Lebron lives in his own bubble of atta boy and it doesn't help that he has bad advisors. He wants to be the greatest ever and rich beyond his means then he keeps making bad decisions towards those goals.

[mg]

^So how does beating a scrub like Shannon Brown in the dunk contest accomplish any of LeBron's goals of being 'the greatest ever' or 'rich beyond his means'?

[Hilltop]

I would understand LeBron being tentative about it. People take the dunk contests too seriously these days and forget that it's all about having fun. Outside of Dwight Howard, we haven't seen superstars getting involved in a long time. I miss the days wherein we'd have guys like Vince, Stevie Franchise, McGrady all in one competition. I guess those days are long gone.

I'm pretty sure LeBron is afraid that he might not be able to live up to the hype. Let's face it, the expectations are sky high and for some fans, maybe even unreasonable. There's also that puncher's chance that he gets outclassed by guys like Brown or DeRozan which knowing LeBron, isn't something he would take too well.

[TheOUTLAW]

Just as an FYI, you don't know LeBron at all. Not a bit, not an iota